Photo by babasteve
Traditionally, the Church has divided the hours of the day into the Canonical Hours used by the religious & clergy when they prayed from the Breviary (which is ironic because it isn’t terribly easy or brief, but I digress). During the night (9pm to 6am), there were 3 shifts referred to as the Vigils or Night Office. After that, prayer was on an every-three-hour schedule from 6am until 9pm and they are referred to as Lauds, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers, and Compline, respectively. Over the years, they have eliminated some and combined some, but I am still drawn to the idea of praying SOMETHING during those times.
Paul admonishes us in 1 Thessalonians to “pray without ceasing.” But how do you fit that in your life? Especially if, like me, you have little ones who need you.
The Mother’s Rule of Life Workbook suggests starting out with 5 minutes in the AM, 15 minutes during the day (could include reading), and 5 minutes at night as a starting point. Each month, add 5 minutes to each time you pray until you’ve worked up to 1 hour per day (3 months). This is, Holly says, what a layperson should strive for. She also has a great sample page of the Workbook where you can think about what and when you want your spiritual praying & reading to be on her website.
There isn’t always time for long or even dedicated prayer which the perfectionist in me would like so I’ m not going to make any grand proclamations about how much prayer I fit into a day, but this is what I AIM for at this point.
waking/9am – Morning Offering
noon – Grace before Meals
3pm – Chaplet of Divine Mercy
6pm – Grace before Meals
9pm – Examination of Conscious / Act of Contrition + Guardian Angel (with Lil’ Bit)
I also try to stick a Rosary in there at some point (in the car – on EWTN – in pieces!).
What is your busy mom’s prayer routine?